Cash-register.



No. 747,128. 'PATENTED DEC.'15, 1.903. G. BROWNING.- CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 No. 747,128. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.-

G. BROWNING. CASH REGISTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10.1902.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

flfm Z? Ly PATENTED DEC. 15, 1908.

G. BROWNING.

CASH REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED JUL: 10,

F0 MODEL.

4 sums-SHEET 4.

fizz/e722??? d M aflttorneya.

UNITED STATES ?atented December 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BROWNING, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL CASHREGISTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

oAsH-REcisTEe..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 747,128, datedDecember 15, 1903.

Application filed July 10,1902. Serial No. 115,007. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BROWNING, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Hinsdale, countyof Dupage, State of Illi- -nois,have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Cash -Registers;and I de clare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit [0 pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to cashregisters, and more particularlyto the type of register covered by Patent No. 679,251,

granted to me July 23, 1901.

The primary object of my invention is to simplify and improve certainparts of the mechanism disclosed in my prior patent, es-

pecially in the following particulars: Plates for registering thepurchases are substituted for the checks or registering-tokens, whichare allowed to fall step by step at each oper-- ation of thecorresponding keys. A plurality of such plates may be successivelybrought into operation to register a given amount, thereby multiplyingthe recording capacity of the register. In lieu of the separate pivotedpin-detents of the prior patent above re- ;0 ferred to for holding upthe supporting-rods of the purchase-indicating tablets pinscorresponding in number to the indicating-tab- -lets and fixed to asingle oscillatory frame are employed, the frame being located above andoperated indirectly by the keys. The necessity of providing, the keyswhich register the amount of asingle purchase upon two separateregistering-cominns with a separate finger for operating each slide isavoided by 40 providing a projection on one slide extending beneath theadjacent slidesinto the path of movement of the fingers of each of thekeys corresponding to the amount of the purchase which is to be recordedon the separate registering-columns.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cash-register whichwill be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive inmanufacture, and efficient in use.

go My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illus trated asembodied in aconvenientand practical form, and in which Figure 1 is avertical sectional view on line 1 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, an elevatioual viewlooking into the rear of the register, the back thereof being removed;Fig. 3, an elevational view of the upper portion of the register lookingfrom the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail plan view of the keys andslides actuated thereby looking downwardly with respect to Fig. 1; Fig.5, a sectional elevational view showing the operative connectionsbetween the keys and indicating-tablets; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig.5, showing the parts in an adjusted position; and Fig. 7 a detail View,on an enlarged scale, of the end of one of the slides which areinterposed between the keys and the registering-plates.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

The mechanism may be supported in any suitablecasing-as,forinstance,onecomprising a base A, a top a, side portions Aand A a back Aiwhich may preferably be hinged as shown in my priorpatent, a vertical front wall A through which the cash-drawer is adaptedto reciprocate, and aninclosing wall A connecting the top a and theupperedge of the vertical wall A A drawer B, which is illustrated as ofthe horizontally-reelprocating type, is supported within the casing, thefront thereof being normally flush with the vertical wall A A spring Bis secured at one end to a log I), depending from the rear of thedrawer, and at its other end to an eye I) or other fastening device,secured to the inner surface of the front wall A The spring 13 is undertension when the drawer is closed, the drawer being retained in itsclosed position by any suitable means--as, for instance, avertically-reciprocating latch H the lower end of which en- 5 gages akeeper b secured to the rear of the cash-drawer. A spring b tends toforce the latch 15 into engagement with the keeper o The upper end ofthe latch is provided with an offset portion B which is engaged andelevated in a manner subsequently to be described, thereby disengagingthe latch from its keeper and permitting the spring to pull the draweropen that is, to a position beyond the front wall A of the casing.

A shaft C is supported between the side walls A and A and serves as asupport upon which are journaled any desired number of keys, preferablyarranged in two rows C and C Each of the keys is provided with adepending finger adapted to actuate a slide E, the reciprocation ofwhich registers an amount corresponding to the particular key operated.

The slides are supported in a substantially horizontal position abovesupports D and D which extend between the side walls A and A of thecash-register. The slides may be guided upon the supports in anysuitable manner-as, fol-instance, by means of headed pins or screws dand 01 passing through elongated slots in the slides, as clearly shownin Fig. 4. Each of the slides is provided with a spring 6, normallyholding the slide in the position indicated in Fig. l. The end of eachslide opposite to the end which is engaged by the depending finger ofthe corresponding key is provided with a thin horizontally-projectingflange 6, (see Figs. 2 and 7,) which terminates a short distance fromthe end of the slide. Between the end of the flange e and the extremeend of the slide is located a second flange 9 in a lower plane than theflange e, the distance between the under surface of the flange e and theupper surface of the flange 6 being slightly greater than the verticalthickness of the teeth on the registering-plates subsequently to bedescribed, the adjacent ends of the flanges e and e being spaced apartadistance less than the width of the teeth on the registering-slides.

A series of vertical rods f'f f 850., are supported at the back of thecash-register, as shoWn in Fig. 2, and serve as guides, upon which areadapted to reciprocate registeringplates G G G the. The guide rods ff f&c., are preferably supported in an oscillatory frame, substantially thesame as that described in my prior patent, for supporting the guide-rodsaround which the checks are located and upon which they are adapted toslide. The oscillatory frame of the guiderods in my present inventionconsists in a top bar F, journaled at its opposite ends in the sidewalls A and A of the casing, a lower bar F and vertical connecting-rodsF and F secured at their opposite ends to the top bar F and the lowerbar F Any suitable fastening device may be provided for retaining theframe normallyin a vertical positionsuch, for instance, as shown in myprior paten t-ora single spring-detent engaging a recess in the uppersurface of the lower bar F shown at f in Fig. 2. The guide-rodsf f f&c., are preferably square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, and aresurrounded by square eyes g and 9 secured to the registering-plates G GG 850.

A carriage is provided for elevating the registering-plates to theposition indicated by the plate G in Fig. 2, such carriage beingsubstantially the same in construction and operation as that illustratedin my prior patent for elevating the several series of checks topositions above the corresponding actuating-slides. The carriagecomprises a lower bar Hilocated beneath the registering-plates, as shownin Fig. 1, a cross-bar H, located above the bottom bar H and extendingin a plane to the rear of the paths of movement of the severalregistering-plates, as indicated in Fig. 1, and vertical side portions Hand H having eyes at their upper and lower ends surrounding the siderods F and F of the oscillatory frame upon which the registeringplatesare guided. Each of the registeringplates G G G &c., is provided with aseries of teeth g, which are engaged by the flanges e and e on the endsof the slides E, and at each actuation of the corresponding key theregistering-plate is allowed to descend a distance corresponding to onetooth. The teeth of the registering-plates therefore indicate the numberof times the corresponding keys have been operated, and the capacity ofthe register for recording a given amount is limited to the number ofteeth on the corresponding registering-plate. In order, therefore, thatthe recording capacity of the machine may be increased, it is desirableto provide more than one registering-plate for each amount, such platesbeing successively brought into operative relation with the slideactuated by the key. I accomplish this desired result in the presentembodiment of my invention by extending one registeringplate-as,forinstance, the plate G-over the adjoining registering-plate-as,forinstance, G -so that the teeth g on the two plates may besuccessively engaged by the flanges e and e on the same slide. In orderthat the second registering-plate may not be brought into operativerelation with the slide until after the first registering-plate hasdescended step by step its entire length, I provide a pawl K, (see Fig.1,) pivotally supported upon a rod 70, the opposite ends of which aresupported in the side walls of the casing. The lower end of the pawl Kis provided with a retracting-spring K which normally throws the pointof the pawl into the plane of movement of a pin 7c, (see Figsl, 2, and4-,) projecting from the lower guide-ring g of the registering-plate GThe registering-plate G is consequently held in the elevated positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 until the pawl K has been swung out of operativeengagement with the pin 75, when the lower end of the plate falls intoengagement with the end of the slide and is in position to be allowed todescend step by step by the successive operations of the slide. The pawlK is swung out of engagement with the pin 7t" to permit the slide G tofall upon the end of the slide by means of a pin k projecting from theupper guide-ring g of the registering-plate G,

engaging a cam K on the adjacent face of the pawl K. The relativepositions of the pawl K and the pins 76 and k are such that when theregistering-plate G completes its step-by-step descent the pin 7aoscillates the pawl K and disengages the endthereof from the pin is,permitting the second registeringplate G to fall into position toregister the given amount upon the operation of the corresponding keyimmediately upon the top tooth on the registering-plate G having passedbe low and out of engagement with the end of the corresponding slide.The bottom bar H of the carriage for returning the slides to their upperpositions, as indicated by the slide G extends beneath the lower ends ofall of the registering-plates, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Each of the keys is provided with a portion 0, extending beneath thelower end of a ver tically-reciprocating plate, to the upper end ofwhich is secured a tablet indicating the amount corresponding to that ofthe cooperating key. The indicating-tablets are preferably arranged intwo parallel rows, those in front being secured to plates L, the lowerends of which are actuated by the projecting portions 0 of the lower rowof keys 0 while the rear row of indicating-tablets are supported byplates L the lower ends of which are engaged by the projecting portions0 of the upper row of keys 0. The tablet-supporting plates L and L areguided in horizontal bars L and L extending transversely across theregister and supported at their opposite ends by the side walls A and Aof the casing.

In order that the indicating-tablets may be retained in an elevatedposition to indicate the amount of the purchase after the correspondingkey has been actuated, the supporting-plates L and L are provided withperforations Z and Z respectively, which are engaged by pins n and 17.respectively, upon the successive elevations of the supportingplates.The pins at and n are preferably secured to a transverse bar 01, theopposite ends of which are rigidly secured in an oscillatory framecomprising side bars N and N respectively connected at their endsopposite to the ends which support the bar a by means of a transversebar N A rod N extends trans versely across the register and is supportedat its opposite ends in the side walls thereof and serves as a hearingabout which the pinsupporting frame is adapted to oscillate. 'ihepin-supporting frame is normally maintained in position to hold the pinsin the paths of movement of the supporting-plates L and L of theindicating-tablets by means of a spring m. (See Fig. 1.) In order tooscillate the pin-supporting frame to remove the pins from the paths ofmovement of the tablet-supporting plates L and L a cam 17, is providedon the lower end of the side bar N of the frame, which is engaged by afinger m pivoted to the side bar M of a frame, pivotally mounted betweenthe side walls of the register. This frame comprises side bars M and Mpivotally secured at their upper ends to the side walls of the registerand united at their lower or rear ends by a cross-bar H. The bar Mextends across the tops of the several projecting portions 0 of thekeys, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon the actuation of any one of the-keys thecrossbar M is swung upwardly, thereby oscillating the pin-supportingframe through the engagement with the cam 11 thereof of the finger m andalso lifting the drawerlatch B upwardly through the engagement of thebar M with the ofiset portion B of the stem of the latch.

A hell 0 may be secured to the side wall A of the register andoperatively connected, by means of a link 0, with the adjacent bar M ofthe frame, which is oscillated through the contact of the keys with thetransverse bar M.

In order that the amount of a purchase may be recorded on two separateregisteringplates, and thereby avoiding the necessity of providing aseparate registering-plate for each key, a baris secured to one slide,which extends beneath the adjacent slides and in the path of movement ofthe depending fin gers c of the keys in the upper row 0. By reference toFig. 4, for instance, the slide E is provided with a bar (2 whichextends beneath the adjacent slides E, E E and E. Consequently upon theactuation of the upper series of keys, numbered 6, 7, 8, and 9, theslide is actuated, as well as the slide in front of which the finger cof the corresponding key projects. By the arrangement just described theactuation of the key 9, for instance, operates simultaneously the slidesif. and E thereby permitting the registering-plates of the keys 4 and 5to each descend a tooth and recordthe amount nine on the Maud 5registering-plates. Thesame arrangement is also provided for recordingthe amounts sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety upon theregisteringplates of the keys 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, as indicated inFig. 3. The same arrangement may also be extended to the dollars, sothat six, seven, eight, and nine dollars may be recorded on theregistering-plates of the one, two, three, four, and five dollar keys.The system may, in fact, be extended indefinitely, asis obvious.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Upon the actuation of anyof the keysas, for instance, the key 1the portion 0 thereof elevates thetransverse bar M, thereby through the connecting-link 0 ringing the belland also through engagement of the offset elevating the drawer-latch andpermitting the drawer to be pulled forward by the contraction of thespring B. The upward movement of the bar M also oscillates thepin-supporting frame into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby removingthe pins from the paths of movement of the tabletsupporting plates L andL and. permitting the particular plate which had been elevated by theprevious operation of a key to descend. Upon the continued upwardmovement of the portion 0 of the key, and the con sequent continuedupward movement of the bar M, the finger m passes out of engagement withthe cam 77. and permits the spring we to oscillate the pin-supportingframe into such position (indicated in Figs. 1 and 6) that the severalpins extend into the paths of movement of the tablet-supporting bars andthe particular pin corresponding to the tablet which has been elevatedenters the slot Z in its supporting-plate L.

The operation of a key reciprocates the corresponding slide to such aposition that the tooth on the registering-plate which is immediatelyabove and supported by the flange 6 slides through the opening betweenthe adcent ends of the flanges c and 6 the succeeding tooth falling uponthe flange c, and upon the release of the key the contraction of thespring 6 retracts the slide, so that the tooth supported upon the flange6' falls upon and is supported by the flange 6 The registering-bar isconsequently at each operation of the key permitted to descend onetooth, thereby recording the deposit in the cash-drawerof a givenamount. The number of teeth which pass below the corresponding slideconsequently indicate the sum of the given amounts which have beendeposited in the cash-drawer. When the plate G falls, owing to its toptooth passing below the slide, the pin oscillates the pawl K, therebydisengaging the point of the pawl from the pin 7c, permitting the secondplate G to fall upon the end of the slide in position to be feddownwardly step by step by the successive operations of thecorresponding key. The sum of the teeth on the first plate added to theteeth on the second platewhich have descended below the slide indicatethe total amounts deposited in the cash-drawer corresponding to theregistering-plates actuated by the given slide.

It will be noted that the depending fingers c on the keys in the upperrow 0 are longer than the depending fingers c of the keys in the lowerrow 0 Consequently the actuation of a key in the upper row operates notonly the slide with which the fingerc directly engages, but also theslide E through the engagement of the finger c with the extension ethereon. l/Vhen, however, a key in the lower row is actuated, the lengthof the depending finger c is such that merely the slide adjacent theretois engaged, the path of movement of the finger being above the extensiona of the slide E.

It is obvious that each one of the slides may actuate tworegistering-plates, thereby doubling the capacity of the cash-registerover that which it would possess if each slide actuated merely a singleregistering-plate. The calculation of the amounts'registered on theslides may be facilitated by placing adjacent to the teeth numeralsindicating the sum of the amounts registered on the plates. Forinstance, the first plate G, which is actuated by the key 1, is providedwith numerals in arithmetical progression from 1 to 80, and the plate Gwhich is brought into operative engagement with the slide subsequent tothe descent of the first plate G below the slide, is provided withnumerals opposite its teeth arranged progressively from 81 to 160. It isof course obvious that the plates actuated by the various keys arenumbered to correspond with the amounts of the respective keys,theseveral teeth on each plate being designated by numbers progressingarithmetically the amount of the key.

l/Vhen the money is counted and com pared with the amounts registered onthe several plates and it is desired to return the plates to theirelevated positions, it is merely necessary to swing outwardly theoscillatory frame which supports the guidebars for theregistering-plates and then elevate the carriage to such a position thatits bottom bar H is above the plane of the ends of the slides, when theframe may be again swung inwardly and the carriage allowed to descend,the registering-plates being then supported at their lower ends by thecorresponding slides, the bottom tooth of each slide engaging the flangec of the corresponding slide. The plates which are brought intoengagement with the slides subsequent to the disengagement of otherplates with the same slides-as, for instance, the plate G are liftedabove the supporting-pawls by the carriage and there supported-as, forinstance, by a pawl K, engaging a pin it, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have inventedan improved cash-register capable of recording a great number ofindividual amounts and also capable of recordingagreaternumberof amountsthan there are registeringplates.

While I have described more or less precisely the details ofconstruction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,l contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and thesubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of slidingplates for registering the amounts of the purchases, reciin'ocatingslides engaging said plates and operated by said keys whereby upon theactuation of a key the corresponding plate is permitted to descend apredetermined distance.

2. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of slidingplates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases,reciprocating slides engaging the teeth on said plates and operated bysaid keys to permit the plates to descend the distance of one tooth ateach operation of the corresponding keys.

3. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of plateshaving teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases, reciprocatingslides adapted to be engaged by the keys and having flanges located indifferent planes at'the ends thereof, said flanges extending between theteeth on the registering-plates and thereby supporting the latter andpermitting the same to descend step by step upon the actuation of thekeys.

4. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality ofregistering-plates, a reciprocating slide engaging said plates andactuated by said key to permit said plates to descend in succession stepby step.

5. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality ofsliding registeringplates having teeth, of a reciprocating slideoperated by said key and engaging the teeth on the plates to permit theplates to descend in succession the distance of one tooth at eachoperation of the keys.

6. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality ofplates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases, areciprocating slide engaged by said key and having flanges located indifferent planes at one end thereof, said flanges extending between theteeth on each of the registeringplates in succession and therebysupporting each plate in turn and permitting the same to descend step bystep upon the actuation of the key, and means for bringing the teeth onthe plates successively into operative engagement with the flanges onsaid slide.

7. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality ofplates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases,

.a reciprocating slide engaged by said key and having flanges located indifferent planes at one end thereof, said flanges extending between t-heteeth on each of the registeringplates in succession and thereby supporting each plate in turn and permitting the same to descend step by stepupon the actuation of the key, and a pawl for supporting oneregistering-plate out of operative engagement with the flanges on saidslide and operated by another registering-plate to permit the firstplate to fall into operative engagement with said flanges.

8. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of aseries of sliding plates for registering different amounts, andconnecting means interposed between said keys and said plates wherebythe actuation of a single key sim ultaneously operates a plurality ofsaid plates thereby registering the amount of the key upon plates thesum of the amounts of which equals the amount of the key.

9. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of aseries of sliding registering-plates, a slide operatively engaging eachof said plates to permit the same to move step by step, and meansinterposed between said keys and said slides whereby the actuation of asingle key may simultaneously operate a plurality of slides and therebyrecord the amountcorrespondingto theactuated key upon a plurality ofregistering-plates.

10. In acash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of a seriesof sliding registering-plates,a plurality of slides operatively engagingsaid plates to move the same step by step,projections secured topredetermined slides and extending across adjacent slides, fingersdepending from said keys and adapted to simultaneously actuate aplurality of slides upon the operation of a single key.

11. In a cash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of aseries of indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets and engagedby the keys to actuate the tablets corresponding to the respective keys,a pivoted frame oscillated by the operation of the keys, a series ofdetents fixed to said frame and adapted to be disengaged from andengaged with the respective supporting-plates of the tablets bytheoscillatiou of said frame.

12. In acash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of a seriesof indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets having openingstherethrough and engaged by the keys to actuate the tabletscorresponding to the respective keys,a pivoted frame oscillated by theoperation of the keys, a series of pins projecting from said frame andadapted to be inserted in and removed from the openings in saidsupporting-plates by the oscillation of said frame.

13. In acash-regist-er, the combination with a series of keys, of aseries of indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets and engagedby the keys to actuate the tablets corresponding to the respective keys,a pivoted frame, a cam secured to said frame, aswinging bar locatedabove the keys and swung upwardly upon the actuation of the keys, afinger pivotally supported by said bar and adapted to engage said camand thereby oscillate said frame, a series of detents fixed to saidframe and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the respectivesupporting-plates of the tablets by the oscillation of said frame.

let. Inacash-registe1',the combination with a series of keys, of acash-drawer, a catch engaging said drawer to retain the same closed, aswinging bar extending above the keys,and a lateral projection on saidcatch extending into the path of movement of said bar whereby theactuation of the keys elevates said bar, which in turn raises saidprojection, and thereby disengages said catch from the drawer permittingthe same to open.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE BROWNING.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, CLARA O. CUNNINGHAM.

